Behind The Mask
by unbalanced-mind
Summary: While Peter is studying with the professor, Lucy, Edmund, and Susan are staying at a separate house alone for a month until their mother gets back. Meanwhile, Susan terribly misses Caspian and is desperately trying to find him.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

Introduction

While Peter is studying with the professor, Lucy, Edmund, and Susan are staying at a separate house alone for a month until their mother gets back. Meanwhile, Susan terribly misses Caspian and is desperately trying to find him.

Edmund's POV:

Lucy rolled her eyes as I silently groaned and tried to focus on my book. Susan was _still_ rambling on about Caspian and now she's trying to get back to Narnia and find him. I never really understood their "relationship" or whatever it was and honestly, I didn't want to. You see, I've never really liked a girl before. Sure, I've had a couple little crushes once or twice, but never anything worth doing something with.

"Where could an entrance possibly be? There has to be one here somewhere!" She yelled. She started to pace around the room looking for any possible portal between our world and Narnia. She made so much noise, I finally gave up on my book and sat next to Lucy.

"Hey Lu, you wanna go look around the hou—" I didn't have to finish before she grabbed my arm and sprinted out of the room. I laughed when we stopped running.

"Oh my gosh she is driving me _insane_!" She bellowed.

"Me too! Plus, who knows how long it's been in Narnia? Caspian could be so much older or even gone for all we know!" She nodded and added, "And you can't just_ find _Narnia!"

"I know! Well anyways, let's just look around the house and try to find something to do." She agreed and we started to explore the rooms. Most of them were pretty boring. Then, we came to an empty room with just a large full body mirror that Lucy seemed fascinated by. I wondered why. I mean, what's so interesting about a mirror? I asked Lucy just that.

"Don't you see? Look at the carvings." I reluctantly walked over and observed the carvings. They were interesting. No, not interesting, but familiar. I recognized them. Lucy ran her finger up the left curve, looking at the naiads and driads and centaurs and everything else, and I did the same with the right until our fingers met at the top. There, was a perfectly carved lion head, but not just any lion. Aslan. We both gaped and then Lucy gasped. "Look!" She yelled pointing to the mirror. But it wasn't a mirror. Before us lay a path of perfectly cut and soft grass surrounded on either side by daisies and carnations and roses and other flowers I didn't even know existed. There were trees with birds perched on the branches singing sweet songs. Sunlight flooded the scene, making it even more breathtaking and inviting. I recognized it instantly. Only one place could be this stunning. There, right in front of us, was Narnia. The land we knew, what seemed like, so long ago was here. We found it again.

Lucy took my hand and put one foot in.

"Wait," she stopped, "Should we tell Susan?" She said looking at the door across the room. We exchanged looks, then smiled and both stepped inside the mirror.

We decided to walk through the forest to try to figure out what part of Narnia we were in, but after about an hour and a half of walking around we still couldn't figure it out. It was twilight, but it was fading. Soon, we found a meadow of soft, green grass , perfect for sleeping on, right as dusk had passed. The moonlight illuminated the meadow slightly, making a kind of nightlight.

"We should be getting to sleep. We'll need a lot of energy tomorrow," I told Lucy. But I was barely listening to myself and I quickly fell asleep.

Lucy's POV:

I watched as Edmund closed his eyes and soon he was softly snoring, so I knew he was fast asleep. The whole forest was now lit by moonlight, making it even more tempting. I slowly got up and tip-toed to the edge of the meadow. Looking back once more, I made my way into the forest.

I knew we were in Narnia, but everything just seemed so… empty. No, not empty. Hiding. It seemed like everything was hiding itself. Soon, I found a very clear path and started walking on it, looking for any possible – well, anything really. Suddenly, I heard a crunching of leaves from behind a tree. I jumped a little but kept quiet, not wanting to scare away whatever was there. Taking a cautious step toward it, I heard it do the same in the opposite direction. I knew what it was doing – I did this when I babysat our neighbor's toddler once. She would go in the same direction I was chasing her, then I would trick her and go in the opposite direction and catch her by surprise. I did this and apparently startled it more than our old neighbor's daughter. It stepped back into a beam of moonlight and I realized that it was a girl. And not just a Narnian, but a daughter-of-eve. I looked at her curiously and she seemed just as shocked by seeing a human in Narnia as me.

"A-are you… are you a… human?" She asked rather awkwardly. Her chocolate brown hair fell in front of her shoulders and slightly in her face as she tilted her head. I couldn't see her eyes that well, but I could tell that they were glossy and I guessed they were some shade of blue.

"Yes. And you are … a human also?" It was an awkward question for both of us, but she answered, "Yes," also.

"What's your name?" I inquired. We still hadn't moved toward each other at all.

"Kristen. Um, Kristen Feliciano. And yours?" She replied.

"I'm Lucy. It's nice to meet you," I stated taking a step toward her. She almost stepped back, but changed her mind and stepped forward also, shaking my hand.

"So do you live here?" I questioned sitting down on the soft grass. She sat down also.

"What would you define 'here' as?"

"You know, here. Narnia." I said obviously.

"So the question is do I live in Narnia?" I was starting to get impatient with her.

"Yes! That's the question! Can you answer it please?" I accidently shouted at her.

"Oh, sorry," I said regretfully. She smiled forgivingly.

"It's okay. And I do live here, but I can't tell you much more." I didn't push her for more, even though I wanted to. She seemed so… mysterious. After talking for about half an hour until she said she had to go. I had to admit, I had this urge to follow her, but I didn't. I had a feeling I was going to meet her again very soon.

"Lucy. Lucy. Lucy! Wake up! I know where we are! Wake up!" Edmund yelled in my face.

"Huh?" I said groggily.

"Come on, get up! I know where we are!" I stretched quickly, then followed him into the forest.

"Edmund, where are you—" I stopped short as we came in front of it. I still don't know how we didn't see it before, but it was right there. The enormous lake, right in front of us. The mountains in the distance, valleys and fields.

"Lucy, look." Edmund pointed to the east and I saw our old home, Cair Paravel. Most people wouldn't call it home, you know, being a castle and everything, but it was our home once and it always was after then.

"What do you suppose we do first?" I asked.

"Well, what do you want to do first? After all, you found this place." I laughed and said, "I always do." He laughed too.

"I would like to see Caspian again and Cair Paravel. How about you?"

"Absolutely! I can't wait to finally get my sword out again! I've been waiting all month, you know." I rolled my eyes and we were on our way.

Edmund's POV

On our way to Cair Paravel, we ran into many old friends and creatures we used to know. The beavers even invited us in for lunch, which we gladly accepted. But we were determined to get to the castle before sunrise, so we didn't stay long with them. We also ran into some centaurs who were incredibly helpful. Seeing that Lucy and I were both on foot, they gave us a ride to the castle. And I can't tell you how good that felt. The wind blowing on me as we went faster and then the light breeze as we slowed down. Soon, we were at the front of the castle. We thanked the centaurs and waved goodbye before going into the castle. Everything seemed so… different. Not in a bad way, really, just different.

As we approached the stairs, I started to become nervous. I started walking slowly, then stopped all together. Lucy turned to me.

"What's wrong Ed?"

"I'm nervous." I confessed.

"Why would you be nervous?"

"Well, what if Caspian's really old and he doesn't even remember us? Or what if he's not even here anymore?" She smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Edmund, Edmund, Edmund. Always worrying! Caspian is here, that much I know. And if he's older, then he's older, but I /know/ he wouldn't forget us. They remembered us after 100 years, remember?" I nodded and shrugged.

"I guess I just feel a bit different to be back."

"It's okay, Ed. So do I. Anyone in our positions probably would be."

"Yeah. Except maybe Susan," I said chuckling. Lucy did, too.

"Yeah. She would probably sprint through the doors and throw her arms around her love!" Lucy exclaimed dramatically.

"Oh Caspian!" I squealed in a high-pitched girly voice that, in my opinion, sounded just like Susan, "I've been waiting so long to see you! I love you sooo much!" I then gasped and threw myself at the invisible Caspian, planting fake kisses all over his 'face.' Meanwhile, Lucy was literally on the floor laughing her lungs out. I bellowed with laughter also.

Once we had finally gained control of ourselves, we brushed ourselves off a bit and approached the door. Slowly pushing it open, it revealed the grand entry room. All the pillars and half oval windows perfectly draped with royal purple silk and the perfectly polished floor and everything else twice as magnificent as when we were kings and queens.

After staring in awe around the room, I noticed that it was empty. Lucy apparently did too because she looked at me and asked, "Where do you suppose he is?"

"Hello? Hello?" We called out. Then, through an open doorway behind the thrones, came Caspian. He was dressed in a silver and blue suede tunic with a standing collar with gray trousers and navy boots.

"Edmund? Lucy? Is that you?"

"Caspian!" Lucy said engulfing him in a big hug.

"So it is you! But where are the others?" He asked looking to me.

"Well, Peter is studying with the professor and Susan is… um… back at the house."

"So she didn't come with you?" I could tell he was a bit disappointed about this.

"No, she didn't. She was –" I stopped mid-sentence as I saw someone come in. No, not someone. Her. I believed I saw heaven right in front of me. She wore a royal blue and silver dress with a white border of little thread balls attached by strings. Around the waist was a blue belt with a thin white border and the sleeves were mid-elbow length and flared out a bit at the end. She had pure chocolate brown hair that went about halfway down her back and was perfectly straightened to the last strand. Her eyes were a glossy electric blue and almost exactly matched her dress color.

Her voice matched her angelic looks as she said, "Hey Casp, who's here?"

"Hey Kris. I'd like you to meet Edmund and Lucy Pevensie. Edmund and Lucy, this is my cousin Kristen."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

"Umm…uh…" I racked my brain trying to find something to say. Ugh! Why did I have to look so stupid? Luckily, she started talking and she seemed pretty excited.

"Original king and queen of Narnia! Caspian's told me so many stories about you! Like when you defeated the white witch, restored peace to Narnia, and became the kings and queens! And when you joined him to find the seven lords that were banished by Uncle Miraz! Oh, and only a year ago when he summoned you back to Narnia by Susan's horn and all four of you… Wait, where are the others? Peter and Susan?"

"They're…" I didn't exactly know what to say. 'They're on the other side of the mirror that we came here through. You know, the real world?' "They didn't come with us. They were um… busy." I said awkwardly. Kristen looked disappointed, but happy nonetheless.

"Oh. Well, that's okay. I just feel honored to meet you! I never thought I'd actually live to see the day I did." She was beaming and I looked over at Lucy to hide my blushing. Strangely, Lucy wasn't smiling or blushing. Her face was curious. She was staring at Kristen like she was trying to find something. Then, her eyes got wide.

"Kristen… Human… The forest! You're the girl from the forest! Oh, why didn't I see it sooner!"

"Queen Lucy! How could I not recognize you then? I'm so stupid I don't even see when there's a queen of Narnia right in front of me!" Kristen exclaimed.

"I could say the same thing." Lucy laughed and Kristen joined her.

"Well," Lucy continued, "I would really like to look around the place. Would that be alright?"

"Oh, of course! Here, I'll give you a personal tour. Would you like to join us, Edmund?" I tried desperately not to blush even more. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Luckily, Caspian replied for me. "You two go on ahead. I would actually like to take a walk with Edmund alone."

"Oh, alright. Well, I'll see you two later!" Kristen said. She smiled at me, then turned around as her and Lucy started whispering and giggling. I hate when girls do that. It's like they're trying to drive you mad or something!

"So…" Caspian drawled with a smirk.

"So…?"

"You have a thing for my cousin, I see?"

"What? Your cousin? What? No! I mean, of course not! She's… she's your cousin! I would- I would never… Yeah, pretty much." He smirked and laughed.

"What? I can't help it! She's… she's beautiful." He sighed and put a hand on my shoulder.

"I know. She takes being a queen relatively seriously. Being beautiful is part of the job." I laughed.

"I guess so." I said with a chuckle.

"Come on. Let's take a walk." Caspian called a servant and told him something in private. Soon the servant came back with two horses trotting beside him. One was a buckskin horse. I looked at the other horse. He was a black palomino with large green eyes the size of pears.

"Phillip?" I asked.

"Indeed," he smiled (horses in Narnia smile unlike horses in our world.) I ran to him, hugging him and stroking his mane.

"Oh, Phillip, it's been so long!"

"It certainly has."

"Well, shall we get going?" Caspian said, leaping onto his horse's back. I did the same and our horses trotted along to the front entrance. A guard stopped us.

"And where are you going, your highness?" the man asked. Caspian rolled his eyes.

"Oh, why must you worry so much?"

"It is my duty." He said officially. Caspian chuckled.

"Well, since you must know I am going to go horseback riding on the beach with my old friend, Edmund." I watched the man's face go in shock.

"_The_ Edmund? As in King Edmund?" I smiled.

"Um, yes sir."

"Oh your highness, you are too kind to just a man as myself."

"I am a man too, you know. And not even that much. I am a boy still and everyone deserves to be treated respectfully."

"Oh, I think you are more than a boy with wisdom like that, sir."

"Well thank you."

"Should we be going now?" Caspian interrupted.

"Oh, yes of course."

"Well, have a nice ride!" The man waved goodbye and our horses trotted along. Once we made it to where it began to be sand, Caspian stopped and dismounted his horse. I reluctantly did the same.

"Why are we getting off?" He didn't answer, but instead told the horses they could go back to the castle.

"If we're just walking, then why couldn't we walk out of the castle?" I asked as we started striding on the sand.

"Because my guards and servants care about me too much. They think that if I go outside the castle without a horse or other fast animal to ride on I'll be chased down by enemies or something. But we have no enemies here. Narnia is peaceful. Especially since Kristen's gotten here. She has this certain … charisma that makes everything alive, happy, and peaceful. There hasn't been an unhappy person here for nearly a year. Well, except her at times."

"Wait, why would she be unhappy?"

"Oh she's always happy. But sometimes she says she wishes that she could have a more normal life. The only thing she hates really is her wardrobe."

"Her wardrobe?"

"Yes, she says her royal dresses are bland and boring. She's a very colorful person, you know."

"I can tell." We spent about the next 10 minutes walking on the beach talking about Kristen and the last year in Narnia.

Suddenly, we heard a distant scream from the castle. Caspian whistled and our horses came to us like they were next to us the entire time. We hopped on and they ran to the castle. We got off and sprinted into the front hall where we saw a terrible scene.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

One of the maids was holding up a dagger to a girl's throat. The girl looked terribly frightened and the maid looked just as scared. I guess the girl couldn't take it all in because she collapsed in a faint. Caspian ran to her just in time to catch her before she hit the ground. She was clearly unconscious, but every person in the room just sat there gaping.

She was clearly unconscious, but every person just sat there gaping.

"Maids, prepare a room for this girl immediately." All the maids started hurrying off in different directions.

"Maria! Come back here please." The maid that was holding the dagger stepped forward. Her face was shameful.

"Maria, don't look so solemn. We're not having you whipped. But I do want you to make sure this girl gets the best room conceivable. You will supervise _all _the maids that are putting the chamber together. I am assigning you this task. Just take care of her as much as possible. You will be excused from your other work while you are doing this, but that means you must work extra hard on everything else. Now go and supervise right now. When the maids have the bed together, please inform me of it." The maid nodded and left, looking much more relieved.

"Kris," he called. She looked up and he waved his hand for her to come over. She did.

"I need to put this girl in your bed until-" he stopped as Maria came toward him.

"Your highness, the accommodations are prepared."

"Really? Well, that was quick. Never mind about it Kristen." So, he followed the maid out with the girl still in his arms.

Now it was only Kristen, Lucy, and I in the Grand Hall. It got silent pretty quickly. I tried not to say anything to Kristen (I probably wouldn't be able to anyway) because I was afraid it would come out sounding desperate or foolish or flat out stupid.

"Hey Lu, could I talk to you?" She waved to Kristen who left to do other things, and skipped over to me.

"What's wrong, Ed?"

"Something has to be wrong for me to want to talk to my little sister?" I lied. But Lucy knew me.

"Oh please. Skip the idiocy and tell me what's wrong." I sighed. I guess I lost my casual advantage.

"Look, you have to _swear _not to tell anyone, okay?"

"Okay, okay. Cross my heart. Now, what is it?" Lucy was such a girl, it almost annoyed me.

"It's Kristen."

"Yeah, she's great! What about her?"

"Well, I think I might like her."

"Why wouldn't you? She's such an awesome friend."

"No, I mean like _really _like her." Lucy gaped, but smiled, too.

"No. Way. Ah! I knew it!" Then she did a little dance chanting, "I knew it! I knew it! Edmund likes-" I put

my hand over her mouth.

"Oh, right. Sorry," she apologized.

Kristen's P.O.V.

I slid down the wall so my knees were right below my chin. Oh, what I would give to hear what Lucy was going to say next! Edmund likes… Ugh! Why did I even like this boy? Just because he was… handsome and clever… and sometimes rather mysterious… and he gives little hints that may or may not be hints, but I try to convince myself that they are… and my dreams. Oh gosh my dreams! They don't continue more than 2 seconds without his voice or face or eyes. Aw his eyes… So full of beauty and mystery. I could stare all day in those eyes. Not that I already sort of do, but I can't make it too obvious.

I peeked around the corner and watched him whisper to Lucy too quietly for me to hear. He finished and she walked away. Toward me. I silently panicked and sprinted back to my room.

The door opened and Lucy walked in. I was sitting on my bed, trying to act as relaxed and calm as I could.

"Hey Kristen," she said.

"Hey Lucy. I hope I'm not being rude, but I'm really tired. I was gonna take a nap. Is that alright?"

"Oh, of course. I'll see you later." And she left.

I fell back onto my bed, staring at my ceiling. I wasn't tired at all, but I needed to be alone.

Lying to Lucy didn't make me feel that great, but I'm sure she would understand.

So, I lied there, thinking as I stared at the ceiling.

And I stayed that way for the rest of the night.

Caspian's P.O.V.

I knocked. No answer. I went in. All the maids stopped, bowed, then continued. Maria came to me and bowed.

"Your highness, the girl is healthy. I believe she was just in shock. She hasn't awoken yet."

"Thank you, Maria. You may take a break. Get some food. That goes for all of you. Prepare dinner and eat. You've done an excellent job." The maids smiled and went out the door.

"Maria, I will be taking care of this girl for at least the rest of tonight. Please inform everyone that I will not be joining them for dinner and that I send my apologies." She nodded and left, leaving me alone with the unconscious girl.

She was very pretty, but not in the way I would normally think of a girl as. She seemed so calm as she lay there, her eyes closed and still just as the rest of her body.

I pushed her hair away from her face and felt her forehead. Then her cheeks. Her skin was soft against my hand.

I took my hand back swiftly. What was I doing? I didn't even know this girl.

Her eyes started fluttering. I stared and waited. She opened them all the way up and looked at me. The girl started to sit up, but I made her lay back down.

"Where am I? Who are you?" she asked.

"You're in Cair Paravel, castle of Narnia. I am Caspian." She moved back.

"No. No, you're lying. Narnia doesn't even exist! It was only a made up land in the book I was-" she looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"So it's true. Everything I was reading wasn't just fiction. My book wasn't just about Narnia. It was a portal _to _Narnia. Which means you're King Caspian!" I blushed at her excitement to meet me.

"Just call me Caspian."

"Okay." She beamed and looked around, then looked at me again.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She held out her hand. I shook it. "I'm Scarlet," she said, "Scarlet Improvisa."

Scarlet's P.O.V.

His hand was gentle, but I could tell he was strong. But I guess he had to be strong, being a king and all. I still couldn't believe all of this.

"Well, Scarlet, you are welcome to stay as long as you please. In fact, I would feel honored if you would." He leaned forward and kissed my hand. I didn't know what to do. And for once, I didn't know why I felt how I did. Caspian was so… so different than any other guy I knew. When his hand touched mine I felt like it was my father, the way he used to be before Mom left. Kind, gentle, but still strong. Before he used his strength to… I winced at the memories.

"Are you okay?" Caspian asked. I came back to reality and saw that was looking at me very concerningly.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Okay then. Well, we must get you something to eat. Come on." I tossed the covers off and stepped out of the bed.

The dining area was just as amazing as the other parts of the castle I'd seen. The table could fit probably 20 people at least. It was polished so well, I could just about see my reflection. Above the table was a giant chandelier with candles that spiraled to the top. There were no windows, but a lot of paintings along the walls. Some showed scenery, others showed battles, and others depicted stories.

The room was almost empty, except for a few maids cleaning some dishes up.

Caspian pulled my chair out for me and I thanked him as he sat next to me at the head of the table.

Soon, there was a plate of all sorts of food I didn't take the time to identify before digging in. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until then.

After finishing the first plate, I was stuffed. Dessert sounded so good – some fancy Narnian fruit a la' mode- but I just couldn't eat any more.

"So, Scarlet, where are you from?"

"Well, I was born in Pennsylvania, but I live in California now with my aunt and uncle. My half-sister also lives with me." He looked confused when I said the states, but he didn't ask me anything about them.

"Why did you move?" I winced.

"Um… complications." I'd never told anyone outside of my family the real, painful side of my life, and I wasn't going to start then.

"I shouldn't ask?"

"Yeah, you shouldn't."

From then on he asked a lot of different questions he could tell when I was uncomfortable with one and would change the subject.

"Well, I should probably get to sleep. It's pretty late," I stated.

"Yes, I should probably do the same. Here, I'll walk you to your room." He took my hand as I got out of my seat, but I kept it to myself the rest of the time. I wasn't about to give myself to this guy I hardly knew. Who knows? He could've been a tyrant Casanova for all I knew!

When we got to my room, he wished me goodnight and left to his room. On my bed were a pair of silk pajamas. I put them on and slipped into bed.

I was awoken the next morning by a loud thud outside my door. I ran out of my room and saw a young girl lying on the floor with a suitcase next to her. She rolled over, and got up. I gaped.

It was Ally.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

"Ally!" I yelled and practically knocked her over as I hugged her.

"How did you get here?" I asked.

"How did _I _get here? I think the bigger question is how did _you _get here?" So, I told her how I was reading my book and it somehow sucked me in and I appeared in Cair Paravel.

"Well," she started, :I came into the room while you were reading with your suitcase to ask you if you wanted your name tag thing on it, but when I looked up, you were gone. Their was just an open book on the empty chair.

"So, I picked up the book, but before I could tell what it said, I felt this jolt like I got punched straight in the back and then I fell and landed here. So, where is this exactly?"

"You wouldn't believe me," I told her.

"Oh, please, Carls. I would believe you if you said that in 2 minutes, there would be no gravity on Earth." I laughed, thinking about how gullible Ally really was sometimes.

"We're in Narnia." Ally jaw dropped. "And this is Cair Paravel, where the king and queen live," I added. She started turning around admiring the castle.

"Wow. I mean, _wow._ This is incredible!"

"I know, right? And guess what!" I beamed, wanting to tell her all about Caspian.

"Wha-" She stopped as he, Caspian, came into the room.

"Ah, Scarlet, I see you're awake. And who is this? Another random guest? I hope you don't plan on bringing all of America here or something." He chuckled and I giggled. Ally smiled and held out her hand to him.

"I'm Ally. Scarlet's cousin. Well, more like sister, really." He kissed her hand and introduced himself. My heart dropped a little. So, it was polite. Not a special thing for me.

"Well, Scarlet? Ally? Would you two care to join me for breakfast? I believe we will be eating with everyone now."

"Sure!" Ally smiled. I nodded and followed.

My head was slightly down the whole walk to the dining area. I stared at my feet as I walked. Then, I stared at Caspian. His gorgeous wavy black hair and that smile that could brighten anyone's day. The way he walked; not proudly, but more like sophisticated and humble.

At breakfast, I sat next to Kristen and Ally with Caspian at the head of the table, three seats down from me. I didn't eat much. For some reason I felt like Kristen didn't like me, but I wasn't paying attention to her that much, so I couldn't say.

After breakfast, Caspian approached me and I smiled.

"Hello, Scarlet. As you only have one change of clothes I think you-"

"Oh, she doesn't! She has practically her whole wardrobe!" At first I thought she was mocking me, but then I saw that she still had the suitcase. _My _suitcase that was fully packed with every piece of clothing I had. However, Caspian still looked confused.

"She has my suitcase. It has all my stuff in it. I was about to leave to somewhere else before I got here and I had all my stuff ready to go, so Ally was holding it when she got teleported, I guess and it came with her."

"Fantastic! Well then there's no need for anything else. Now, I do believe I have a sword fighting match with my cousin and fellow ruler, Kristen. So if you'll excuse me, I will be going. Goodbye, Scarlet! Goodbye, Ally." He waved as he left. I sighed with deep contentment.

"Some-body likes some-one!" Ally teased, poking me.

"Hey! Hey, stop it!" I laughed and smiled again in the direction Caspian walked away. Ally was right.

Kristen's P.O.V.

I pulled on my boots, pulled on my belt 'til it was snuggly around me, and put my hair up in a high ponytail. I hadn't done sword fighting with my cousin in almost 2 months! I could not wait to get back out there. I glanced in the mirror, grinned, and then skipped to the arena area outside. Caspian was just walking in as I was. One of our front guards was reffing. He gave us both our face helmets and metal chestplates. After sliding them on, we faced each other and got into position. Swords at hand, glares on eyes, and smirks on lips, we were ready.

Then, it started. It's hard to explain it because it all goes so fast. One second your slashing forward, the next your diving under and rolling to dodge it. I lunged at him. He dodged. I growled with fury. He slashed. I blocked it and swung his sword away from me. I rolled right through his legs and lunged at him before he had time to realize what I had done. The metal clanked against my sword and the guard yelled, "Match One goes to Kristen!" I beamed.

"Nice move, Kris!" Caspian remarked from across the arena where he was talking to another guard. As I waited, I looked up at the stands to see if anyone was watching. A couple maids, the one girl that showed up this morning (go figure), and then… I saw him. Edmund. As I reached his seat with my eyes, I looked up at his and ours met. I waved and smiled. He did the same. I blushed a light pink and prayed that he couldn't tell from this distance.

After 4 more matches, the game ended up with 3 matches to me and 2 to Caspian. I high-fived him afterwards and told him "great job," and all the other normal stuff you say after a game. Then, I hurried off to my room to get changed and try to run into Edmund again. My luck was high today, and I planned on keeping it that way.

Edmund's P.O.V.

I raced to the Grand Entry Hall after they finished the game and waited there. I hoped that Kristen would come out after changing and "coincidentally" find me here. I waited for a few minutes. No one. A few more minutes. No one.

Finally, after about 20 minutes she finally came out. Beautiful as ever, I strolled by her.

"Kristen!" I said, getting her attention. She turned to me and her lovely hair gracefully flew, then bounced down again.

"Oh, Edmund! Hello there. I, um, saw you at the games."

"Yep. I was there." Why did I say that? Why didn't I say a compliment or something?

"So, did you iike them?"

"Oh yeah! They were great! You're a brilliant sword-fighter! I don't think I've ever seen a better girl sword-fighter!" Okay, so that was alright. Not terrible, at least.

"Thank you so much! That means a lot to me." She smiled her irresistible smile. I sighed inside. Ah, she looked so beautiful in the late morning sunlight pouring in from the windows. Her eyes glistened, and her hair sparkled as if it was sprinkled with gold dust. I sighed again inside.

"Alright, well I should go I have to go talk to some of the maids. I'll see you later, Edmund!"

"Bye," I mumbled and waved acutely. Then sighed deeply-for the last time- externally and walked off to go find Caspian or someone to talk to.

After walking around a couple halls I found a slightly darker hall with less maids and servants. I knew Caspian wouldn't be here, but hey! I might find someone new and exciting to meet. Maybe another boy like me who could teach me things and I could teach him things about our different worlds! And we could talk about cultures and all sorts of other things. Someone who could help me through things and could be another good guy friend to me.

But, after I opened the first door, who I found was far from my expectations.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

First off, she was a girl. She was sitting on her bed. The room seemed tinted, like the inside of a limo. She turned to me and stood, but then stumbled a bit. A maid- that I didn't even notice at first- helped her stand straight. The girl wore a fitted black t-shirt and black jeans with a long silver necklace and a bunch of bracelets. She had layered blonde hair to her shoulder in length. Lastly, her eyes hid beneath dark sunglasses which made me puzzled because the room was dark enough already.

"Well? Are you going to speak so I can tell where you are?" I was now more bewildered.

"Um, sure. I'm over here," I said awkwardly. Her maid led her as she held her arms out, touching everything around her and in front of her. Then it occurred to me. The tinted room, the sunglasses, the maid.

She was blind.

The girl got over to me and had her fingers a few inches from my face when she asked, "May I?" I nodded, then realized that wouldn't work and muttered a yes. Her fingers ran across my cheeks and over my eyes and lips and my nose. Then she ran her fingers through my hair.

"Your name?"

"Um, Edmund. Edmund Pevensie." Her face lit up. I didn't think a face could light up if you couldn't see their eyes, but her's sure did.

"Well, King Edmund, welcome back to Cair Paravel." Even though her face showed excitement, her voice had an icy tone to it.

"Um, thanks." She didn't reply. She just stood there. I mean, _just stood there_. Not moving at all. It was one of the most awkward situations I'd ever been in. At last, she told her maid to help her back to her bed. I stood there still awkwardly.

"You can leave now. Unless you'd prefer to stay with me for some reason." I had to admit, I was extremely curious about her. I didn't have much else to do, so I decided to stay.

"Do you mind if I did stay?" She definitely seemed shocked by that, but I could tell she was a little bit happy, at least.

"Whatever," she concluded.

I sat down on a chair by her bed. It was quiet for a while.

"Edmund?" She asked breaking the silence.

"Yes?"

"Why did you stay?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, don't you have better things to do than hang out with some blind girl that you don't even know?"

I chuckled. "Not really. I was just kind of… curious about you."

"Curious? About _me? _Are you serious?" She demanded.

"Of course I'm serious!" It got quiet again for a little bit.

"Well, what are you curious about?"

"Um… Well, do you live here in the castle?"

"Uh, duh. This is my room." I felt a little stupid, but I still asked another question.

"Okay, so are you related to someone here?" She gazed off into the distance. Well, turned her head I guess I should say.

Her P.O.V.

My mind went mad with anger when I heard that question. All the unfair things I had faced. Just because I was blind, I didn't get the throne. I held it in though. I'd learned a new trick to keep in my anger that occasionally worked. I counted to ten and breathed in slowly. Then, I answered his question.

"Yeah. Kristen and Caspian," I mumbled.

"You're related to them?" He was surprised. Not a surprise there. Who wouldn't be surprised that the girl stuck in her room wearing sunglasses all the time is related to the king and "queen."

"Yes, I am. What else?" My attitude was a bit sour, but can you blame me?

"Actually, I have to go meet up with someone," he said as he stood up. I was kind of disappointed that he was leaving, but happy that I didn't have to face his ignorant questions anymore.

"Edmund!" I shouted, hoping he hadn't left yet.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for staying, I guess. You're different than a lot of other people."

"How am I different?"

"Well, for one, you didn't even ask my name."

"Oh, um, I'm sorry. I-"

"It's Camille."

"Camille," he copied. I nodded.

"Well, Camille, I really enjoyed learning more about you. Maybe I can get you out of your room sometime." I chuckled under my breath, so not enough to hear. "Goodbye," he said. I listened as he walked down the hall and away.

"Goodbye Edmund," I whispered.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Chapter 6_**

Caspian's P.O.V.

After my match with Kristen, I took a stroll in the gardens behind the stained glass of the north side of the Grand Hall. I loved coming here after a rousing sword-fighting match to calm down and think about things. This time I didn't have much to think about. There were no problems in the castle as far as I knew. So, I got up and walked to the Grand Hall. On my way into it, I thought I might check on Scarlet and Ally and see how they were doing.

However, as I walked I was stopped by a frantic guard running in front of me in a panic.

"Your majesty," he panted, "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I have an urgent message. It's about Venificus." The name struck anger and fear and hatred in my eyes. "You see," he continued, "I have received word that a threat has been sent to us from Venificus saying that he is rising. He plans to take over and this time, he's more powerful. His army is building up and I fear that maybe this time it will really happen." I looked down anxiously, deciding what to do next.

"We must make a plan and discuss strategies for battle."

"Battle? Already?"

"We must take every precaution we can!" I insisted. "Now," I went on, "Tell everyone in the castle. We need all the help we have. Tell them to spread the word also. I will inform Kristen, Scarlet, Ally, and Edmund. Hurry!" We dashed off in different directions. I planned on telling Scarlet and her sister first. They would come with us, since I didn't want them to be alone in a place that they've only been in a day or two.

I knocked on the door. "Come in!" it sounded like Scarlet said. I rushed in.

"Scarlet, where is your sister?"

"I'm right here," Ally stated as she walked in from her adjoining room.

"Good. Now, I need you two to come with us to our hideout in Aslan's How. We have received a threat from Venificus. He plans on invading, and we have to discuss battle plans as soon as possible."

"Who's Venificus?" Ally asked.

"I'll tell you on the way to the How. Right now you need to come to the front of the castle. I will have my guard give you both a horse. I assume you two know how to ride?" They exchanged uneasy glances.

"I'll take that as a no," I decided. "Well, these are talking horses so they will take you through how to. You'll catch on easily. Now go! We need to hasten!" They put on their shoes and I walked them out of the room.

"There," I pointed to the front doors, "Out those two doors will be a guard. Tell him I sent you for two horses." They nodded and went on as they were told.

Next was Kristen. I wanted Kristen to stay in the castle so she wouldn't get caught up in the battle and so she could be there if anyone or anything came and blow the horn. I went to her Tower Room and found her reading in her closet. Yes, it seems odd, but she enjoys being alone and truthfully it looks quite comfortable and peaceful.

"Hey Kris."

"Hey Cous'," she said smiling as she put her book down. "What's up?"

"Well, there's something I need to tell you." Her smile faded a bit.

"What is it?"

"Everyone in the castle and I are going to Aslan's How to discuss things."

"What do you need to discuss?" She insisted.

"Don't worry yourself about it. It's not important for you. However, while we're gone you will stay here in the castle. If anyone comes, blow the horn."

"But who would come?"

"I'm just taking precautions, Kris. We won't be gone for too long. Maybe a day to a day and a half." I put my hand on her shoulder. "I'm counting on you to make sure things go smoothly here. Keep the horn close to you all the time. Keep your sword fairly close, too. Just in case."

"I got it, Cous'," she confirmed. "Don't worry yourself." She winked and I chuckled.

"Alright, well I should be off. Goodbye Kristen. Be safe!" She laughed at me as I left. I got to the front of the castle and ran into the same guard as before.

"Your highness, everyone in the castle is ready to go."

"Really? That fast? You all cease to surprise me with your swiftness. Let's go!" And we set off to Aslan's How.

Kristen's P.O.V.

"Yes!" I yelled in my Tower Room. The whole castle was gone and it was just me, alone, with the entire castle to myself! I danced around the room, and then went back down to the Grand Hall. I knew what I was going to do. I had planned for this day far too much. Walking behind the thrones, I looked around for the secret doorway. Once I found it, I opened it to the swirling steps going down.

Oh, yes. This would be fun.

Edmund's P.O.V.

I had taken a nap after my encounter with Camille, but when I woke up, there was no one there. No one in the entire castle. There were no maids, guards, anything!

I walked all around the castle, but it was completely still with no one to be found. I started to panic. What if everyone had been taken or something? That was nearly impossible with everyone in the castle, but where were they then?

Trying to calm myself, I went to the garden outside my room behind the stained glass window to the north of the Grand Hall. I slumped on a bench and tried to figure something out.

Then, I thought I heard a voice. At first I thought it was just my imagination. No one was here! But then I heard it again. Louder. And a piano playing. I followed the noise and heard it coming from a room, but where could the room be? All there was was a wall with… Then I remembered the Treasure Chamber. I opened the wall door and walked down the swirling steps down to it.

In the middle of the Chamber was a piano, as I had heard. The person playing was on the other side, so I walked around to see who it was.

I couldn't tell who it was at first, but when she realized I was there she gasped and stopped playing. I gasped too. It was Kristen. But I didn't expect her to look like this.


End file.
